Healey 10:52

 

Can someone tell this girl to slow it down already? I busted out some of the 6 month clothes and um, hello, some of it already fits her perfectly! Outta control!!!

 

This week there were two nights that Puff kept Healey all night, while I tended to a sick Bimmer. Yes, I finally, after 2 1/2 months, felt comfortable letting him handle her over night. Don't worry - both nights he kept her, she slept for 6+ hours to start off the night. The night I had her in between? She woke up every 3 hours. Because of course that's how it would happen.

 

She is getting some practice in her Bumbo and holding her head up better. I've caught her being very intrigued by the TV if it catches her attention. Maybe sitting all day binge watching "Dexter" isn't the best idea??? Or maybe she'll just appreciate good television when she sees it?

 

For as well as she is doing with sleeping on her own, there was a time or two this past week where she just was very insistent on needing me to hold her to fall asleep. And I was totally OK with that. I will take snuggles from both of my girls for as long as they will give them to me!

 

She had her 2 month well-visit and she is up to 14 lbs. 7 oz. and is in the 94% for weight and 97% for length. My big ol' growing girl!

Post Partum Pooch

Ugh... bitchfest time.

 

I am 10 weeks post-partum and I'm still wearing my maternity shorts. And that does not make anyone feel good about themselves.

 

OK... let me back up. At the end of it all, I gained 53 pounds this pregnancy. That's a shit ton of weight, people.

 

 

 

I can't believe I am sharing this photo, but here I am 3 days after giving birth. It's just a sweet photo of me, my girls, and my dad. I was still in the hospital. I had been pumped full of fluids. I am not a fan of hospital photos of the mom. I'm not the mom who can look like a super model right away. I sure wish I was though!!!

 

 

 

Then a really amazing thing happened after I got home... the weight started falling off. Insanely fast. Like a few pounds a day some days. I was occasionally drinking an Herbalife shake as a meal supplement, and my appetite was drastically smaller than it had been during the pregnancy, but obviously, I could barely move some days because of my c-section recovery, so there wasn't any exercise happening. I was so pleased with my results and by the time a month rolled around, I was down to only needing to lose 16 pounds. I was still wearing maternity bottoms, but could fit into some of my non-maternity t-shirts and looser fitting other shirts. I still wasn't keen on having photos taken of myself (especially my face - I hate that my face gains weight) but I was getting there.

 

 

 

But then it happened... I hit a wall. After that point, I lost no more weight. I came to 7 1/2 weeks post-partum and realized I was *STILL* griping about needing to lose 16 pounds. I needed to get serious. I needed to find time to exercise and the will power and motivation to alter my diet. Going back to work is lingering... and I cannot go back to work wearing maternity clothes. And I absolutely will not go and buy an entire new wardrobe either. Those 16 pounds... had to GO!!!

 

It was time to start exercising. I started doing crunches and planks and leg lifts (or whatever they're actually called) every day. I would do squats and lunges while holding Healey during her fussy-need to be held spells. And I finally got Puff to agree to keep both girls for a little while so I could hit up the gym. I didn't want to purchase a membership yet, at this point, since I wasn't sure which gym I wanted to commit to. I had wanted a personal trainer... I was talking before this pregnancy that if it ever happened, I would absolutely NEED a trainer. (And a different one from my last one - which meant a new gym.) Still no trainer yet, but I'm not completely ruling out the possibility.

 

I managed to go to the gym twice that first weekend I committed to losing. I even surprised myself because I had been thinking ten minutes would kick my ass, but I managed to do 20 minutes on the elliptical both times - and at a speed I used to maintain pre-baby. Unfortunately, Puff isn't the best motivator and convincing him to take time to keep the girls so I could exercise was hard.

 

But after 3 days of trying to eat better and 3 times to the gym, I lost a pound. ONE POUND. But you know what? That was a pound that I hadn't been able to lose in the entire previous month. I also found a 12 week diet challenge that I have convinced Puff to join me on. I will update you once I am into that - or finished. Here's hoping it helps!

Healey 9:52

I remember when Healey was only a week old and I heard the doctor mention a heart murmur.

 

 

 

Did I hear her correctly? Was there really something possibly that seriously wrong with my perfect, brand new little baby?

 

My mind was put at ease when two different pediatricians both said it was very mild, and that they weren't majorly concerned about it. Yet, they wanted us to visit a cardiologist just to make sure. We had our consultation this week. I had done pretty well over the 7 weeks in between that first mention of it and our appointment, of putting it in the back of my mind. I focused on all her snuggles and sweet smiles and didn't focus on the possibility that something could be wrong. I was a ball of nerves going into the appointment. I just couldn't imagine what I would think or do if they said it wasn't good.

 

After waiting forever, having the nurse take Healey's blood pressure what felt like 10 times, they then hooked her up to an EKG. She was good and sweet during that, but seeing your baby hooked up to about 20 different cords was heartbreaking! A resident came and listened to her heart, and then the actual doc. They both agreed they thought it was something very minor, but wanted to do an ECHO just in case. Of course, more waiting. Having your 2 month old baby lay still for that ultrasound was rough! We tried everything... music, singing, noises, Baby Einstein video, me holding her. Finally they gave us some sugar water to put on her pacifier (since she's decided she really doesn't want the paci anymore) and we were able to get what they needed.

 

The final verdict? She has VSD, which means she has a small hole in the part of her heart that separates the ventricles. The left ventricle (I think) has more pressure, so it squirts blood into the right one and makes a noise. The doctor confirmed that Healey won't need any surgery and she will live a completely normal life! They are even hopeful that it may heal up on its own eventually. We will just make yearly visits to the cardiologist for now, but we seem to be in the clear.

 

This baby is too young to be giving me such heart attacks! I'm going to be a mess when these girls are teenagers!

Life Lately: Baby Edition

Preface: Anyone else shop the Lilly sale this morning? When I first signed on, there were 42,000+ people ahead of me in line! I took that opportunity to get the girls ready, take Bimmer to school, and give Healey a bath. Of course it let me into the sale just as I was getting Healey dressed, so the poor girl had to chill out in her diaper while I did some shopping! I got Bimmer her Easter dress and some shorts and then went back an hour later and got myself a tank top and Healey a bathing suit. I was disappointed in the baby selection. Score anything good???

I go back to work the week after Labor Day, so I'm basically counting down days now, versus months. I have mixed emotions - I definitely have been going a little stir crazy being cooped up at home during this maternity leave, but I will definitely miss my naps. Especially the snuggly ones. It's no surprise to anyone that I take a lot of photos, and being home all day long with a cute little baby, I definitely snap quite a few of her. Maybe each day? Definitely each day... who are we trying to kid here?

 

So, today, just a smattering of some recent pics of my sweet, growing girl. My last baby. The last time I will ever have a 2 month old to call my own!

 

 

 

Tiny Dancer

For whatever reason, Puff is super adamant that Bimmer take dance class. I took 9 years of it myself when I was young, starting when I was 4. For at least the past year, Puff has been bugging me to look into classes for Bimmer. Does he realize she *JUST* turned 3? I'm not into making some Tiger Woods prodigy here, bucko. She's a kid... there will be plenty of time for involvement.

 

 

 

And that involvement starts at the end of the month.

 

Once a week.

 

Until mid-May.

 

I really think Puff has no idea what he has gotten us into. I'm on board, as long as I don't become the sole dance ferry over here. I want her to do this, and more importantly, SHE wants to do this, but I can't do it alone.

 

 

 

We took Bimmer shopping last week to get all of her necessary dance gear. This sweet girl is so excited. She cannot wait to take ballet and use her "quiet tap" shoes too. (Still trying to figure that one out!)

 

 

 

I am so thankful that we are fortunate enough to give Bimmer these opportunities. I hope she enjoys it as much once she starts participating as she is enjoying the pomp and circumstance of the build-up.

 

Now where is my chauffer's cap?

Healey 8:52

 

Only four more weeks at home with this sweet snuggler! Ack... don't remind me!!!

 

I've noticed her being a lot more vocal this week... more coos and gurgles. She's also become a bit drooly. Not excessively, by any means, but just, at all. Whereas she hadn't been before. She smiles big toothless grins that take up her entire face. She loves her big sister and wants to watch her every move. She is almost ready to outgrow her size 1 diapers and has outgrown some of her smaller sleepers because she's getting too long. She is the most farty baby I know. I need to cut her finger nails, but she is so strong and fights it so much, it's nearly impossible. I'm surprised she doesn't have scratches all over her face.

 

This week also marked her longest car trip yet (several hours to Atlanta to visit the MIL), her first time in a pool (itsy bitsy teeny tiny yellow polka dot bikini), her first mild sunburn on her face (#momfail), and the worst poopy diaper situation to date through either girl (up to her nipples, changing her in the trunk of the car at a rural truck stop, outfit in the trash).

 

She has her cardiologist appointment coming up to check on our heart murmur - so I will be posting about that next update. Please, please, please say some prayers for my sweet tiny little baby that everything is OK!

Mountain Day

Puff likes to point out that he thought I was pretty broken during my pregnancy with Bimmer, but that it was nothing compared to how broken I was with Healey's. (He's so sweet, isn't he???) So after listening to him complain for months about not being able to get out to the mountains, I finally found a morning that didn't look too busy (nor too hot - this SC summer has been excruciating some days) and told him it was time to make the trek to the mountains.

 

 

 

We picked Jones Gap because it's a fairly flat and easy trail, which we thought would be best for both Bimmer and me. Especially since I would be carrying Healey and was 9 months out of shape. Oh yeah, and they have a bathroom, which is always nice!

 

 

 

Healey was in heaven. Remember when I mentioned in her 7 week update that she loves to be held, carried around walking, and outside? She looked around for awhile and then zonked out in the Bjorn and slept most of the actual hike. The biggest surprise to me was how much Bimmer loved it! She always is into sticks and rocks, so she was in heaven with all those new things available. She wanted to be the "line leader" the whole time too.

 

Until she stumbled upon a snake. Loud screams ensued.

 

From both her, and Puff.

 

He screamed like a little girl.

 

I will say that I am not the best mom in the whole "go ahead and be a kid and get dirty and it's totally fine" realm, but I was prepared this trek. I purposely dressed Bimmer in older clothes and packed a spare outfit. So when Puff introduced her to throwing rocks into the creek (river? stream?) I was content to sit with Healey at a picnic table and let them have their fun!

 

 

 

My little outdoorsy girl. When we finally left, she kept telling us that she had "sooooo much fun" and we have already made a point to look at future weekends that we have free to try out another easy trail. It felt so good to get out as a family! We cannot wait to do it again soon.

Healey 7:52

 

This girl is so alert these days! Even more so than last week. She loves to be walked around and check everything out. Puff and I like to say her three favorite, ideal conditions are 1) being held, 2) walking around, and 3) being outside. Healey does get fussy in the evenings, usually between about 6:30pm and bedtime (sometimes less, sometimes more) and so Puff often walks her around the backyard to quiet her down. That also helps me get some quality time with Bimmer.

 

She's working on her head control and will definitely be able to start using the Bumbo in a few weeks, I can feel it. She's now taking 5 ounces in most of her bottles. And there are even a few of her sleepers that are starting to get too small because she's growing in length like a weed! We are also still working on not sleeping in my arms, and I am having her lay next to me some of the time at night. I can still give her my arm to cuddle when she gets fussy. We are just getting her out of the habit, inch by inch!

 

I've also been wanting to post this for a few weeks now, but she just does the sweetest thing in the middle of the night after her feedings. When I have her up on my shoulder to burp her, she likes to maneuver herself over to the outside of my shoulder so that she can lift or turn her head so she can see me. She always gives the sweetest little face. And when she is ready to go to sleep, she will scoot herself back toward my face so that her head is touching my face/head. Just that little bit of sweet touching makes my baby feel comforted and safe. I love every second!

 

One thing I always wondered about was what my girls would call each other. (Yes, I was secretly hoping it was not "Sissy.") Bimmer had been calling the baby random things, making up words really, but nothing super consistent until this past week. She has now seemingly settled on a nickname for the baby and has been using it enough lately that I have even found myself using it from time to time. So, what is it? Well, it's "Lolo." I have no idea where it came from, since that sound is not part of Healey's name, but hearing Bimmer whisper it so sweetly to her little sister, then Lolo it is.

Big Sister Life Lately

A lot of our life lately has revolved around trying to make Bimmer happy and engaged and making her feel special, since so much of our daily routine now revolves around caring for (and carrying) Healey. A few photos of some of the summer fun we've been trying to make for our big girl...

 

A little water fountain play

Cole took Bimmer to Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

Matching Shirts for my girls :)

Bouncy castles

First time playing putt-putt golf

Finger painting with a gift from Kimhead

Nature walk at a new park we found with Daddy

 

Make It Work

Puff and I are currently living a serious Tim Gunn moment at The Bungalow.

 

I knew going into this second pregnancy that the house would be too little for us. I tried my hardest to not let it bother me or worry me during my pregnancy. In fact, I had several friends tell me they were super proud (and surprised) that I wasn't having more anxiety about the lack of plan on what was going to happen once we brought Healey home from the hospital.

 

It hurts my heart a little bit that Healey doesn't have a nursery. It's totally selfish, since she won't know the difference, but it sucked to not be able to decorate a room for her before her arrival. I'll get over it. Hopefully within the next year, we will either be moved to a new house, or have an addition on The Bungalow and I can finally make a room suitable for my Princess!!!

 

So... in the meantime... how is it working around here???

 

Bimmer's armchair is in the fireplace (don't worry, it's just decorative) and our living room coffee table is now the permanent home to a Boppy, receiving blanket, burp cloth, and pacifier.

 

Did you know we have a Cozy Coupe that lives in our dining room? As in, that's where it "belongs" when I tell Bimmer to put it away. It's lived there for almost 2 years now. I can't blame Healey for that one.

 

We had to rearrange our kitchen cabinets to accommodate room for formula and bottles. The top of our fridge is completely full. Do you realize that prior to having children, we had NOTHING on top of our fridge? Why do kids come with so much stuff? Oh yeah, and if I ever need a serving bowl for any reason, they are now in a bin in my attic.

 

I am changing diapers on our spare dining table in the office. Diapers, spare pajamas, plastic bags all live in a basket. The baby's dirty clothes? They go in a tote bag I have hanging on my closet door. In the office. Because my clothes are in the office closet. Healey's clean clothes? They're in a dresser in Bimmer's room. Hence me having a spare change of clothes in the office, just in case there's a middle of the night incident.

 

And our master bedroom? The bassinet is blocking half our dresser. A burp cloth and pacifier live in the bed now too.

 

Don't even get me stressed about where we are going to store her baby bath seat once she starts using that. Which will be soon.

 

And people wonder why we don't keep extra clutter and make frequent trips to Goodwill. I don't even know how I am functioning with this situation, but I am. I guess it's true that they say people are adaptable and can "make it work!"

 

Here's hoping though, that we won't have to live this way too much longer!

 

Update: Since I wrote this entry a few weeks back, I have actually gone and looked at two houses for sale in our neighborhood. Real estate prices are incredibly ridiculous around here, and houses stay on the market for only a few days sometimes. The homes were about 1800-2000 square feet, both with a bonus room and second bathroom - making them seem better than The Bungalow on paper. Except one needed a bunch of work (new carpet, new counters, new bathtub) and there was actually less storage than our current home. The other just felt awkward, and didn't have central AC on the full second floor. For $200k MORE than what our current mortgage is, definitely not worth the move. But it gave me a good idea of what is out there. We've made the decision to look for another two months or so before interviewing contractors!